UV radiation from ultraviolet water systems alone is not suitable for water with high levels of suspended solids, turbidity, color, or soluble organic matter. These materials can react with UV radiation, and reduce disinfection performance. Water turbidity makes it difficult for the Ultraviolet radiation to penetrate water. If your water supply has these characteristics, a Sediment Prefilter (5 micron or less) should be installed before your UV water purification system to remove particulate matter prior to UV water disinfection.

Ultraviolet radiation can be used as a pretreatment or polishing step to sterilize and disinfect water. UV systems are typically used to pre-treat a water supply that is considered biologically unsafe (lake or sea water, well water, etc). The UV disinfection process is a non-chemical method for destroying microorganisms by altering their genetic material, and rendering them unable to reproduce.

There are several advantages of using UV rather than a chemical disinfection solution (such as chlorination):